Last week saw the first of the winter refit volunteers join us on Tectona. It's fairly well known that boats take a lot of time and effort to keep seaworthy, and this is especially so for wooden ones. Add on top of that the fact that Tectona is 90 years old and you will find that many jobs spring up over a busy sailing season. Some are easy enough to keep on top of at the end of the week, alongside the cleaning and topping-up of provisions. But some get written in the maintenance log as a winter re-fit job, to be completed alongside scraping, painting, varnishing and servicing the rigging when the boat is not at work. And that list can get pretty long!
But the good news is that this is the point where Sailing Tectona calls in the heros - our wonderful re-fit Volunteers!
Many of them have sailed on Tectona as recovery voyagers and Plymouth University medical students. This year we even have some former crew who are back after many years just for the joy of giving a bit of TLC to this fine old vessel. And we sure are happy to have them onboard... with a bit of direction and a regular cuppa we achieve a great deal, whistling through jobs that it would the four permanent crew an afternoon of hard graft. SO A BIG THANK YOU is in order for you winter wonders from Hamoze House, Plymouth and District Mind who joined us last week.
We are looking forward to seeing you again soon.